If those teams had identified Gabbert as a franchise QB, one of them would have drafted him. The QB trumps all. In my opinion, some people were impressed by Gabbert's potential when he threw the ball in shorts without a defense around him. Nice performance at the combine. On his pro day it was like "wow". On the field? UDFA Chase Daniel threw 72 TD passes in his final two seasons at Missouri, while Gabbert threw 40.

And then we can add the shaky pocket presence that was overlooked. I think Gabbert was a project because of his wacky offense, his age, inconsistent accuracy and lack of toughness in the pocket. He has the physical tools, but Brady Quinn also has all the physical tools. They need something more when the bullets are flying.

If those teams had identified Gabbert as a franchise QB, one of them would have drafted him. The QB trumps all. In my opinion, some people were impressed by Gabbert's potential when he threw the ball in shorts without a defense around him. Nice performance at the combine. On his pro day it was like "wow". On the field? UDFA Chase Daniel threw 72 TD passes in his final two seasons at Missouri, while Gabbert threw 40.

And then we can add the shaky pocket presence that was overlooked. I think Gabbert was a project because of his wacky offense, his age, inconsistent accuracy and lack of toughness in the pocket. He has the physical tools, but Brady Quinn also has all the physical tools. They need something more when the bullets are flying.

Can't agree with this, unless you are saying that by being a tool, he had all the tools. Brady Quinn simply does not have an NFL arm. All the dips and push ups in the world couldn't make up for this.

If those teams had identified Gabbert as a franchise QB, one of them would have drafted him. The QB trumps all. In my opinion, some people were impressed by Gabbert's potential when he threw the ball in shorts without a defense around him. Nice performance at the combine. On his pro day it was like "wow". On the field? UDFA Chase Daniel threw 72 TD passes in his final two seasons at Missouri, while Gabbert threw 40.

And then we can add the shaky pocket presence that was overlooked. I think Gabbert was a project because of his wacky offense, his age, inconsistent accuracy and lack of toughness in the pocket. He has the physical tools, but Brady Quinn also has all the physical tools. They need something more when the bullets are flying.

I don't see any mystical line where a quarterback is either "a franchise quarterback" or not. Some players start out looking like one and end up disappointing. Some start out giving no indication and end up having long productive careers. Many hop back and forth over the line until they retire.

You don't need to look back very far. Newton was supposed to dominate the league in his second year and the Panthers were picked by some to go to the Super Bowl. Sam Bradford was gold his first season and came close to being traded his second. Josh Freeman has gone from terrible to the Pro Bowl to just hanging on. Mark Sanchez won four playoff games in his first two seasons and is ridiculed as the worst starter in the league now. Vince Young won OROTY and went to the Pro Bowl his first year in the league. Now he can't get a job offer.

The situation is at least as important as the quarterback himself in determining success and who ends up being considered "franchise". Packers tried to trade Aaron Rodgers after his second season with the team and couldn't get any decent offers. They got Brett Favre after another team gave up on him. Drew Brees was traded (for comparitively little) early in his career. There is no mystical "it" that defines a "franchise" quarterback. Just a long grinding process the guys go through year after year to stick in the league as starters and hopefully have success.

Griffin III had a fourth round grade from the Draft Advisory Board in 2011, which was why he opted not to come out after three years.

RG3 had no intention of entering the 2011 draft, regardless of draft grade. He was coming back off an ACL injury and had only started two seasons.
RG3 was still contemplating going back to Baylor after winning the Heisman until he found out he had was probably going to be a high first round pick.

Gabbert came out after his junior season. His senior year would have been the 2011 season and he would have been in the 2012 draft.

He didn't have two more years to work on his game at Mizzou.

By modern NFL standards, Bradford's rookie season was putrid.
I think everyone knows if he doesn't make a dramatic improvement in 2013, the Jags are going to move in another direction. If he lasts that long.

That's why QB prospects are advised to use up all their eligibility in college because in today's NFL if a QB prospect is drafted high, he's going to be expected to start.

If he takes too long to transition he's going to get benched and may have to wait several years to get another shot.

Gabby wasn't ready to start in the NFL in 2011. After the 2013 season, no one is going to care what his potential is anymore.

Gabbert didn't redshirt, though. Griffin and Luck did. He is the same age as those two, give or take a couple of months. Manuel, Wilson, Glennon, Landry Jones, and a few others from that same 2008 recruiting class are just coming out this year. They redshirted and used up their four years of eligibility.

Gabbert didn't have his redshirt season blown off because he wasn't good. He didn't leave early for the NFL because he wasn't good. He didn't leapfrog two established NFL vets to start the third game of his rookie season, without the benefit of training camp, because he wasn't good. He did all those things because he was better than anyone else his age at his job. Plain and simple.

The first puppy to climb out of the litter box might look awkward for awhile, but he usually ends up being the healthiest and most successful long term. Gabbert was first out, he landed in a bad situation. But that seems to be turning around. Shad Khan, Dave Caldwell, and Gus Bradley are among the youngest, (and I think smartest), at their respective situations in the league. Same, same for Gabbert. The old order in Jacksonville had to go.

Gabbert wasn't jumped by Newton because of simple personal preference.
Gabbert simply wasn't in contention to be the first QB drafted in 2011.
He and Gabbert were rated in no way equally as pro prospects.

Shanahan has stated he was going to draft Newton if he fell to the 10th spot.
SHanny thought so little of Gabbert he traded out of the 10th pick.

All the players you listed who were chosen before Gabbert should tell you teams at the top of the draft didn't consider Gabbert worth a high first round draft pick.

It wasn't 'anyone but Gabbert'. It was 'players we consider better than a QB who's not an elite prospect.'

Gabbert wasn't jumped by Newton because of simple personal preference.
Gabbert simply wasn't in contention to be the first QB drafted in 2011.
He and Gabbert were rated in no way equally as pro prospects.

Shanahan has stated he was going to draft Newton if he fell to the 10th spot.
SHanny thought so little of Gabbert he traded out of the 10th pick.

All the players you listed who were chosen before Gabbert should tell you teams at the top of the draft didn't consider Gabbert worth a high first round draft pick.

It wasn't 'anyone but Gabbert'. It was 'players we consider better than a QB who's not an elite prospect.'

Well, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel who polls scouts and team executives each year just prior to the draft, 16 of the 24 people he talked to about the quarterback prospects in 2011 rated Gabbert first. 8 rated Newton first. No other quarterback got a first place vote. I don't think McGinn would fabricate that, he has been doing it a long time and is highly respected in the industry.

Gabbert didn't redshirt, though. Griffin and Luck did. He is the same age as those two, give or take a couple of months. Manuel, Wilson, Glennon, Landry Jones, and a few others from that same 2008 recruiting class are just coming out this year. They redshirted and used up their four years of eligibility.

Gabbert didn't have his redshirt season blown off because he wasn't good. He didn't leave early for the NFL because he wasn't good. He didn't leapfrog two established NFL vets to start the third game of his rookie season, without the benefit of training camp, because he wasn't good. He did all those things because he was better than anyone else his age at his job. Plain and simple.

The first puppy to climb out of the litter box might look awkward for awhile, but he usually ends up being the healthiest and most successful long term. Gabbert was first out, he landed in a bad situation. But that seems to be turning around. Shad Khan, Dave Caldwell, and Gus Bradley are among the youngest, (and I think smartest), at their respective situations in the league. Same, same for Gabbert. The old order in Jacksonville had to go.

Beating out Luke McCown isn't outplaying an established NFL vet.lol.
He didn't really outplay David Garrard either. Jack Del Rio was just ready to get the franchise moving in a different direction.

Remember the new management and coaching regime in Jacksonville didn't draft Gabby.

He's got one season to audition for the job before he's the first starting QB from the 2011 class who ends up on the bench or cut.

It was a terrible decision for Gabbert to come out after starting only two seasons at Mizzou when he had another full hear of eligibility left.

Well, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel who polls scouts and team executives each year just prior to the draft, 16 of the 24 people he talked to about the quarterback prospects in 2011 rated Gabbert first. 8 rated Newton first. No other quarterback got a first place vote. I don't think McGinn would fabricate that, he has been doing it a long time and is highly respected in the industry.

Bob McGinn was wrong.

You tell me in what world a Big 12 QB who throws for 16 TDs and 9 INTs his final season in college is ever going to be rated the top QB in the NFL draft.

That's below average production for most starting college QBs, let alone the top pick in the draft.

It was a terrible decision for Gabbert to come out after starting only two seasons at Mizzou when he had another full hear of eligibility left.

As usual that's all on Gabbert. No one else.

Well, he has 8 million or so dollars in the bank that he wouldn't otherwise have had. That makes more sense to me than living in a dorm for two years to finish a degree you're never going to use. By and large the players come out when they can. Which makes sense in every way. How has it hurt Gabbert? He has made the same number of starts roughly (24) as he would have made in college over the last two seasons. Against much better competiition. He has had two seasons of pro coaching from three different head coaches, and three different position coaches. Had to master two different offensive schemes and is working on his third. I can't see where he would be better off in any way for staying another year or two. Plus he earned his money and has established himself as a leader on the team. Played through various injuries and has the confidence of ownership, management, and the coaching staff at present. By all indications.

It wasn't an opinion from McGinn. It was the opinion of the team executives he polled.

I think the consensus was that there were others in the draft who might be more successful as starters earlier (Dalton, Ponder, Newton, for sure), but that Gabbert had the best long term potential and the greatest likelyhood of reaching it. Dalton and Ponder are limited in their upside, Newton was suspect personality wise, Kaepernick and Mallett suspect in various ways. I don't know that those assessments would have changed much if the same group were polled again tomorrow. I think that the people in the business form their opinions over a much longer time and with much more rigorous effort than the casual fan or media hack. They aren't that much inclined to change based on a couple of seasons where prospects operated under totally different circumstances. David Caldwell could very well have been one of those polled. He'd just come off about a decade of college scouting for NFL teams at that point in time. He would know Gabbert's potential as well as anyone, and he seems pretty high on Blaine.

Well, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel who polls scouts and team executives each year just prior to the draft, 16 of the 24 people he talked to about the quarterback prospects in 2011 rated Gabbert first. 8 rated Newton first. No other quarterback got a first place vote. I don't think McGinn would fabricate that, he has been doing it a long time and is highly respected in the industry.

According to a former Jaguars assistant, Blaine Gabbert is known as "Blame Gabbert" around the Jags' facility, and there are "internal knocks" on his leadership, attitude and accountability.

"Blame" Gabbert because Blaine reportedly believes "nothing's ever his fault." Intangibles were the one aspect of Gabbert's game that had yet to be trashed, so it's a very poor sign for his NFL future. Regardless, a "high-ranking Jags source" believes Gabbert may still get a third chance at starting in 2013. "There are no options off the table." Hopefully for Gabbert, "improvement" is an option. It didn't look like it was in 2012.

Include the Jaguars on the list of teams that might draft Barkley/Smith next month.

LOL, where is that garbage from, PFT or something? Gabs stood up and took the bullets for the team after every loss.

Anyway, I thought it was pretty impressive that he missed nearly his entire senior season of H.S. hadn't played football in months, walked into the All America camp and BEAT OUT LUCK FOR THE STARTING JOB. Luck had been playing quarterback since he popped out of the womb, probably, with an NFL quarterback for a father, and a few more who were close family friends. Gabbert wasn't even allowed to play until he reached high school. Plays a couple of years and is the best in the nation.

Still is, I think. He was better than Luck head to head in the games. Ended the year with a better completion rate and passer rating.

I was unaware Tyler Bray was in the draft...put him between Smith and Manuel. Still have Glen on #1 as a legit top 10 pick and Manuel is there too with Smith, Bray and Barkley not that far off. I disagree with the assessment that this isn't a good year for QB's. Its a very good year.

HAHA...this is funny...

Albert Breer was on 95.7 and said thattalking to NFL execs... consensus is this QB draft class is viewed as one of the worst in the last 20-25 years.

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Originally Posted by VAfy-ya:The lack of ignorance in this thread is alarming.

Can't agree with this, unless you are saying that by being a tool, he had all the tools. Brady Quinn simply does not have an NFL arm. All the dips and push ups in the world couldn't make up for this.

Brady Quinn has plenty of arm strength. He just lacks accuracy and seems to be gun-shy under pressure. I've seen him make some big throws but usually he hesitates too much. QBs coach David Lee said Quinn has more throwing power than Peyton and Eli; he's worked with all of them.

1996 & 1997 were terrible years for QB's, I remember. The thing is, the nature of the position has changed so much. Even if the raw talent isn't there, offensive football has evolved so much and the rules have changed to the point that if you're able to land a guy who is a solid system fit, he can be successful despite deficiencies. I think teams are more comfortable drafting QB's sfter round one than they ever were before. So while this class might not be as heralded, there's still a good chance it produces a few starting level players, more so than if the same class existed 20 years ago.